Peak Retreat Cabin

The Peak Retreat Cabin is a mixture of vernacular and modern architecture. The dwelling is situated on Parti Peak where it over looks a spectacular scenery which ranges from a forest of trees to a small creek which winds throughout the landscape.

The Cabin includes a variety of design elements determined by the work of Peter Rich. These include;

• Nedeble Architecture
• Timber (primary material) - Rich uses timber as his main construction material for basically all projects. It has the most relevance and the best relationship with the African environment
• Slanted roof
  
• Open planned living
• Diagonal circulation
• Home split into 3 sections - communal, serving and served areas
• Big windows and openings
• Homes are raised on stilts

These have been successfully combined to create a sustainable and delightful piece of architecure. Particularly this Cabin has been designed as a holiday retreat for a couple. I believe the end result which includes large open spaces, strong interaction with the surrounding environment and the ability to heighten senses through unique details satisfies this brief completely.

House as an Environmental Filter:

- Large openings and windows are utilised to maximise views, attract the entrance of sunlight and to direct ventilation movement.

- The interior fragments at the periphery (Openings and windows) to incorporate a fringe of external decks, dissolves the boundary between inside and out - allows the space inside to interact strongly with the environment.

- An angled skillion roof is implemented. As described in Ndebele architecture this heightens and exentuates the views.

-Faces South - West for optimum views.

- The use of natural timber as the primary construction material helps it to blend within the surrounding forested environment.

- The terrain is sloped from North - East to South - West and the cabin has accomodated to fit comfortably within the landscape through the utilisation of stilts. The wooden stilts rise from the ground like the surrounding trees to support the Cabin.

House as a container of Human Activities:

- The house creates a unique environment that reconciles abstract architectural ideas with the need for ordinary, everyday living.

- A design element which has been included is by dividing the site into three equal sections - Public, private and semi-private. This enhances the privacy hierachy with the bedroom and office on the mezzanine floors of the dwelling, away from the communal spaces. Necessary height is used to develop this sectioning and provides the occupant with the optimum privacy.

- Subtle changes in levels of the floors and ceiling ensures that the spaces within the Cabin are clearly defined yet have a strong vertical and horizontal continuity.

- Orthagonal spaces which are prevalent in Ndebele Architecture are open and spacious, yet simple in form. These spaces define the the communal activities and are for living and eating, two of the most important parts of the human lifestyle.

- All person flow is directed to the communal areas as the space is open, large in height and is the lowest part of the Cabin. You are drawn to this area due to the changes in levels.

House as a delight:

- The delightful experience is not just defined by its ability to satisfy the design as an environmental filter or a container of human activities.

- Very modern and free flowing architecture heightens the senses to truly make one feel relaxed and indeed in a retreat.

- Wide open spaces allows one to feel safe and comfortable in the Cabin.

- Use of unique architecture - mainly the addition of mezzanine floors which have no walls to enhance the flowing effect adds onto the experience.

- High timber finish generates a warm and tactile feel for the building overall, which can make the experience that more delightful.

- The ability for the form of the house to frame and welcome the most spectacular views allows the occupants to interact with the environment and therefore enhance the overall senses of living within the Cabin.

Overall this design has been well established and satisfies being an environmental filter, a container of human activies and a house that is delightful. The work of Peter Rich is profound throughout the design, and enhances the aspects significantly. This Cabin is definately a retreat.

Diagramming

Inclusions from Peter Rich's Work:
Environmental Filter:


Design Development:

Understanding basic Cabin spaces...

Features which can be considered for Cabin Design...

There are many subtle and pronounced features that I have determined from Peter Rich's Architecture which I wish to consider for utilisation in my cabin design. These particular features range from;

• Nedeble Architecture
• Timber (primary material) - Rich uses timber as his main construction material for basically all projects. It has the most relevance and the best relationship with the African environment
• Slanted roof
  
• Open planned living
• Diagonal circulation
• Home split into 3 sections - communal, serving and served areas
• Big windows and openings
• Homes are raised on stilts

A diagram of the main features to be included are below;

Getting to know Peter Rich Architects...

"For thirty five years, Peter Rich Architects have been rigorously engaged in four key areas of architectural practice.

• As researcher, Peter Rich pioneered the documentation of African settlements so others can learn from them.
• As an activist, he brought what he has learned to a wider audience.
• As a teacher, he developed an architectural vocabulary that builds on tradition and has empowered successive generations of young architects.
• As a practicing architect in his wide variety of work, he has given structure to his discoveries, creating Architecture that is deeply embedded in its time and place.

Peter Rich Architects is one of the leading proponents of a contemporary African Architecture, a fusion of modernism and tradition born from a deep understanding of African iconography and vernacular.

Peter Rich Architects has been acknowledged by a local and international audience as being one of the most important architectural firms currently practicing in Africa. . The practice has re-ceived numerous Awards of Merit (7) from the South African Institute of Architects and has been recognized with several International awards.

Reference:

Peter Rich Architects Practice. 2010.

URL: http://www.peterricharchitects.co.za/ (Accessed 10th March 2010)

Drawings of Exemplar - Berg Retreat

After analysing the formal drawings produced by Peter Rich, I recorded a few techniques which he utilised throughout;

• He drew with very free form - portraying the necessary emotions he wanted to achieve.

• His shading style enables the drawings to come to life and to tell a specific story about the spaces within.

It was particularly important that I understood and incorporate this. This is important for my personal reproduction of the specific drawings; which are detailed below.

I feel I have created a successful representation which satisfies the way in which Peter Rich works. The drawings produced are better than I expected and I am proud of the effort and how I mastered his particular shading style.

Berg Retreat - Chosen Structure

Following the tutorial it was made clear to me that I would have to chose a fourth house to research. I developed an immediate attraction to the Berg Retreat House. This dwelling has sufficient detailed drawings and crucial information which will be useful for this project. It is such that I have chosen the Berg Retreat as my chosen exemplar.

3D PERSPECTIVE

This drawing showcases;
- The three particular sections - public, provate and semi - private
- The spaciousness of the communal areas
- That the communal area has been designed in a particular way to satisfy the numerous activities involved within it
- How the entrance of light effects the spaces (shadows, etc.)
- Slanted roof exentuates the panoramic views

The Berg Retreat has been skillfully designed by reknowned South African Architect, Peter Rich. Sited on the plains of South Africa at the base of the Drakensberg Mountains, this architecture combines the vernacular with adaptations of the modern. The brief called for "a three bedroom house in balance with nature, responding to site, climate and materials." (Berg Retreat House, unknown) Rich has developed a home which satifies these requirements. He has designed a holistic home that sythesises all the components of culture, family and function into a quiet and blissful place of retirement, a retreat (Berg Retreat House, unknown). It must be noted that this house was not passed through to construction , so limited information is readily available.

SECTIONS

This drawing showcases;
- Slope of the terrain
- How the entrance of light effects the spaces (shadows, etc.)
- Slanted roof exentuates the panoramic views
- Materials utilised

1. House as an Environmental Filter:

- With the Berg Retreat positioned in one of the most known environments, the African savannah, it is pivotal that it develops a crucial relationship with the landscape and certainly becomes an 'environmental filter'.

- Fortunately, Peter Rich has spent the past 20 years studying these landscapes and has designed a dwelling which truly unites with the immediate surroundings (Berg Retreat House, unknown).

- Initially the body of the building smoothly flows and hence sits neatly into the sloping topography from the east to the west.

- As noticed in the other explored exemplars, large openings and windows help to generate optimum views by allowing the outside environment to be brought into the interior. This has been incorporated in the overall design, but Rich has also employed a slanted roof. This Ndebele (tribal group) inspired geometry heightens the drama of the views to the Drakensberg Mountains and allows a greater interaction between the outer and inner environments (Berg Retreat House, unknown).

- The positioning of the house in the a southern direction establishes this view.

- Following on from this, the house plan is dictated by the environmental conditions to maximise sunlight entrance, ventilation movement and views.

- Similar to the Tubac House, the Berg Retreat has a harsh exterior which does not allow for differentiation between it and the surroundings. The implication of a stone retaining wall at the base of the home marks the change of levels but provides a tectonic backbone to the design (Berg Retreat House, unknown). The use of a untreated steel roof and timber as the exterior material allows for complete unison with the savannah.

ELEVATION

This drawing showcases;
- Reveals the slope of the terrain
- Materials utilised
- How the entrance of light effects the spaces (shadows, etc.)
- Slanted roof exentuates the panoramic views

2. House is a container of Human Activities:

- "The function of the house is dicated by its particular forms, with each relating to a different component function."

- Orthagonal spaces which are prevalent in Ndebele Architecture are open and spacious, yet simple in form. These spaces define the the communal activities and are for living and eating, two of the most important parts of the human lifestyle (Berg Retreat House, unknown).

- Freestanding spaces on both sides of the home are used for contemplation and meditation as they are areas which exentuate relaxed emotions.

- Furthermore, the engaged round spaces are for cleansing and the curved wall spaces, which offer safeness and cosiness define sleeping areas.

- Each space is defined by a floor plane and is interconnected by the diagonal flow of space, which enables the occupants efficient movement throughout the home.

- Another design element Rich has included is by dividing the site into three equal sections. This enhances the privacy hierachy with the bedrooms on the both wings of the dwelling, away from the communal spaces. Necessary walls are used to develop this sectioning and provides the occupant with the optimum privacy (Berg Retreat House, unknown).

FLOOR PLAN

This drawing showcases;
- Reveals the three particular sections - public, provate and semi - private
- Materials utilised
- Defines the spaces within the house
- Demonstrates how the spaces interact - diagonal spatial flow

3. House is a Delight:

- The Berg Retreat is a delightful experience. One only needs to look at the name of the house to identify that this is a place which would explore delightful features to the maximum.

- Although the dwelling is positioned in the harsh savannah the inclusion of the retreat heightens your journey as you immediately feel comfortable and established in an otherwise barron and vulnerable environment.

- The utilisation of large open spaces within the interior defines the mood, which is relaxed and free flowing.

- Combining this with the spectacular views framed by the large openings and windows and the simple form of defined lines and earthy natural materials, the occupants senses reach their extreme through visualisation.

Overall, this house satisfies the three main qualities - environmental filter, container of human activities and delight in an effective manner. Its unique architecture and remote location work well together to create a sustainable and desirable home.

References:

Berg Retreat House.
URL: http://www.umemagazine.com/issues.aspx (Accessed on 10th March 2010)